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Taxi

Travelling by taxis

One key fact to keep in mind when using taxis is that the University sits on the border between the areas managed by Coventry City Council and Warwickshire District Council, which runs down Gibbet Hill Road. This affects how you will be charged for your journey.

Using taxi ranks

The way you can legally be charged for your journey changes if you're dropped off on a different side of this border to the one you were picked up from.

The University's taxi rank in the Bus Interchange is on the Coventry side of campus, so any journey from there to Warwickshire (including Leamington, Kenilworth and Warwick) will be cross-border.

Journeys that cross the border

If you're picked up in one county and dropped off in another, the driver has no obligation to use the meter. Make sure you agree a price with the driver before setting off.

Journeys in the same county

If you're picked up and dropped off in the same county, the driver is legally obliged to charge you using the meter. Make sure they're doing this before you agree to the journey.

Map of taxi rank and local authority border through campus

Private Hire and Uber

None of the border issues apply to private hire cabs (taxis booked over the phone) or taxis booked via an app like Uber. A quick search online will yield plenty of companies for you to choose from if you'd like to use this option.

There are still some limits on where you can request a pick-up though. Please be sensible about the locations you arrange to meet your cab. Areas that are double yellow lined, or have a shared space arrangement, like near the Arts Centre or on Gibbet Hill Road near WBS, are not suitable pick-up spaces.

With a private hire vehicle, you will need to negotiate the fare over the phone or via the app yourself, and confirm it with the driver when you get in the cab. Please note: drivers with private hire firms can legally refuse a fare.

General advice

Keep the following in mind when getting a taxi:

The most popular destination from the campus taxi rank is Coventry Railway Station. A cheaper option is to take the National Express 12X bus which goes directly there from the campus bus interchange.
Stagecoach run services from Leamington to campus late into the night during term time. For more information on buses, see our bus page.
If you're getting a taxi from a Warwickshire town to campus, you can avoid the border issue by asking the driver to drop you off on the Warwickshire side of campus (e.g. the Cryfield Village area).
Taxi drivers are not allowed to charge per person. If your driver tries this, you can insist on a charge for the journey that does not take into account the number of people.
There is no minimum length for a journey and you cannot be refused a journey on this basis if the journey is within the same county (local authority).
There are limits on where taxis and private hire firms are allowed to drop you off. Areas that are double yellow lined, or have a shared space arrangement like near the Arts Centre or on Gibbet Hill Road near WBS, are not suitable drop-off spaces.